Robb Saez survived a late-game surge in a final race to 11 versus Josh Brothers to take first place in the Q-Master Billiards 9-ball tournament in Virginia Beach the weekend of August 2-3. Hosted by Q-Master Billiards, the $2000-added—plus entry fee—to the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships event drew 45 entrants.

Saez and Brothers met first in the hot seat match, after defeating Eric Moore and Chris Futrell, respectively. Saez sent Brothers to the semifinals with a 9-5 victory in that match.

On the one-loss side, Manny Chau and Alejandro Calderon picked up Futrell and Moore after dropping Eddie Abraham and Brandon Pureza into a tie for fifth place. Calderon advanced to the quarterfinals with a hill-hill victory over Futrell, but Chau fell to Moore in another hill-hill match. Moore advanced to the semifinals with a 9-7 victory over Calderon but finished in third place on the heels of a 9-7 defeat at the hands of Brothers.

In the race-to-11 finals, Saez took an early 2-1 lead before Brothers responded with four straight racks to go ahead 5-2. Saez came back with five racks of his own, including two in which the 9 ball dropped on his break. Behind 7-5, Brothers fought back to an 8-8 and then 9-9 tie before Saez reached hill first. Saez scratched on the subsequent break, and Brothers ran the rack to knot it at hill-hill. Brothers broke the final rack, making the 1 ball, but failed at a safety on the 2. Saez picked it up and ran the final rack to finish it.